Noting that Railways was caught in a “vicious circle” of poor investments compromising services, Minister Suresh Prabhu on Saturday pitched for greater investment to improve the infrastructure of the government behemoth.

He said proper investments in the rail infrastructure could turn the Indian Railways into an engine of growth in the coming years.

Admitting that Railways finances were in “deep trouble”, the Minister said railways required huge investments to expand its network to provide physical connectivity. He was of the view that 30 to 40,000 km of lines need to be expanded to carry more cargo besides people.

Speaking at the Economic Times Global Business Summit, Prabhu said Railways can contribute 2.5 per cent to three per cent in the GDP with an improved infrastructure. More info